Bicyclist's injuries not too serious

Victor Klodin, the 61-year-old Ashland bicyclist who was struck by a vehicle late Friday afternoon, escaped with only fractured ribs and some bruising, his wife, Patricia, said.

Klodin, who was bicycling east on the Siskiyou Boulevard bike lane when he was struck by a Toyota 4Runner, said he spent about five hours at Ashland Community Hospital after the accident.

"I'm a very experienced bike rider," he said. "I put in a minimum of 3,000 miles per year on my bike. So I am very careful and always looking around. But there was just nothing I could have done differently to try and avoid this."

Police say 20-year-old Shaun Starrett was heading west on Siskiyou Boulevard when he made a left-hand turn onto Bellview Avenue, striking Klodin.

Klodin said he saw Starrett turning and screamed the word "no."

"I think that's the first time he saw me. I was trying to veer out of the way when he struck me," he said.

Patricia said, "Unfortunately, this just reinforces the notion that drivers don't see bikers. Drivers just really need to be more aware."

Starrett said he could not see Klodin.

"The sun was blinding me, and he was in the shade," he said. "I heard him yell before I saw him, and then I slammed on my brakes."

Starrett said his sympathies go out to Klodin.

"I feel real bad for him," he said. "I'm not putting the blame on anyone. This is a big biking town and everyone, including the bikers, needs to be more aware."

Deputy Chief Rich Walsh of the Ashland Police Department said Tuesday that the report has not been completed yet.

Traffic safety &

particularly on Siskiyou Boulevard &

has been in the spotlight in Ashland since the death of a Southern Oregon University student who was struck while crossing the boulevard in February.